Jets' Woody Johnson Signals Zach Wilson Trade: 'We Need Backup QB!'

New York Jets owner Woody Johnson made it clear that Zach Wilson's days in the organization are numbered.

Woody Johnson had to endure another NFL Honors ceremony without much New York Jets representation involved. He appears to know exactly why that was the case this season.

The owner of the Jets made his goals for the 2024 season quite clear, departing from his normally stoic nature to issue a de facto playoff mandate for the coming campaign. Gang Green extended the NFL's longest postseason drought to 13 seasons and Johnson was willing to place the blame on one glaring area.

"We need a backup quarterback,” Johnson bluntly declared before attending the league's Las Vegas-based award ceremony, per Brian Costello of the New York Post. “We didn’t have one last year.”

Danielle Parhizkaran, USA TODAY NETWORK

Johnson's comments are perhaps the most damning message for Zach Wilson, the would-be franchise savior chosen with the second overall pick in the 2021 draft. 

Last season, of course, was set to be headlined by Aaron Rodgers' touted arrival and the Jets did little to prepare for any sort of emergency under center. Once Rodgers was lost for the season after just four plays, the Jets were forced to turn to the washout Wilson, who posted a 4-7 record and a 77.2 passer rating (30th among qualified passers) in 12 appearances. Wilson later gave way to Tim Boyle and Trevor Siemian, both of whom did little to improve the Jets' fortunes en route to their 13th consecutive playoff miss.

Thus wasted in this latest misfire was a dominant defensive effort that ranked third in the league overall and second against the pass. Johnson said that his offseason gameplan will focus on the offense, which continues to search for clarity at the quarterback spot, which has endured washouts of both the rookie and veteran variety over the past decade. 

“It’s really all about the offense,” Johnson said in Costello's report. “For the last five years, it’s been about the offense. The offense has to score, keep the defense off the field. The defense is good.”

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Fortunately for Johnson and the Jets, there are plenty of reliable understudies available on the 2024 passing market, such as Gardner Minshew, Ryan Tannehill, and Tyrod Taylor. There's an outside chance the Jets could also use a draft pick on a passer, one that could potentially serve as a successor to Rodgers.